18/12/2003

The arrival of the French director Francis Girod at the Academy of Fine Arts has been celebrated in great style. He is the 5th personality from the French film world to take a seat at the illustrious institution. As well as contributing to the defence and promotion of French artistic heritage, the organisation also oversees the development of pluralism of expression.

58 year old Girod follows in the footsteps of people like Pierre Schoendoeffer, Gérard Oury, Roman Polanski and Jeanne Moreau, representating the cinematographic and audivisual artistic world. He will be serving alongside the other 41 members representing the worlds of painting, sculpture, architecture, engraving, music and other arts like dance (Maurice Béjart) and mime (Marcel Marceau). Francis Girod was nominated to take over the place previously occupied by Claude Autant-Lara (who died in December 2000), Francis Girod wanted to stress the artistic qualities of his predeceesor's work (Il diavolo in corpo), while at the same time criticising his extremist and anti-semtic views.

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Francis Girod is a journalist and was an assistant director from 1962 to 1966, before he moved into production and then directing in 1974 with his first film, Il trio infernale starring Michel Piccoli and Romy Schneider. He directed Schneider twice more in two of his biggest hits, L’état sauvage (1978) and La banquière (1980), starring Jean-Louis Trintignant, Jean-Claude Brialy and Claude Brasseur. Girod was also the president of the S.R.F (French Film Directors Society) from 1988 to 1989 and a member of the French Film LIbrary board of management from 1991 to 1994.

(Translated from French)